Asti's summary of its survey carried out by research panel TNS-Ilres revealed that residents want to live together peacefully, but without providing non-citizens too many political or legal rights.
The survey took place between September and October and polled 1,119 residents on societal questions proven to be sensitive in the past.
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The subject was one of the three questions set out in the 2015 referendum, in which 80% of Luxembourgers rejected offering the right to vote to foreign residents. The latest survey demonstrates progression in the matter, albeit with very clear camps remaining established.
52% of respondents accept that, after having lived in Luxembourg for a certain amount of time, foreigners should be able to have the right to vote in legislation elections. Of respondents, those who were born Luxembourgish citizens remained the most opposed to extending the right to vote to non-citizens, with 66% of this demographic believing only those with Luxembourgish citizenship should have the right to vote in legislative elections.
Of Luxembourgers with dual citizenship and foreigners, the proportion of respondents sharing this view was smaller, laying at a respective 41% and 38%.
Where the majority of respondents reached consensus was in believing that the electorate does not represent Luxembourg's population (62%). Again, Luxembourgers seemed less convinced that extending the right to vote to foreigners would reinforce social cohesion.
Asti expressed its disappointment at the results, stating that the organisation is "concerned that so many people think that democratic participation does not have an effect on our lives in society." The association remains convinced of the importance in opening up the right to vote to better the sense of society and the individual.
Interestingly, non-citizens are also opposed to allowing all residents the right to vote. 80% of non-Luxembourgers believe the requirement of residing in Luxembourg for a certain amount of time before having the right to vote in municipal elections should be maintained. Only four out of ten foreign residents believe all foreigners should be able to participate in national referendums without restriction.
As for the reasons why foreign residents might not register on the electoral roll, even if they are eligible, these are diverse, such as a lack of political interest, an opposition to mandatory voting, moving away, a lack of time, and a linguistic barrier.
Asti's survey also queried the reasons behind acquiring Luxembourgish citizenship. Most commonly, the cause of applying for citizenship results from a sentiment of feeling Luxembourgish (57%) or wanting to participate in legislative elections (46%). Others prioritise wanting to have children with Luxembourgish citizenship (32%) or having an easier access to the civil service (25%). Conversely, those who do not want Luxembourgish citizenship do so because they are either not interested (50%) or do not feel Luxembourgish.
The good news is that a majority of non-Luxembourgers, namely two out of three, feel Luxembourgish. More than nine out of ten residents, both Luxembourgish and not Luxembourgish, feel like citizens of Luxembourg. A detailed look at these statements reveals that the sentiment is stronger amongst Luxembourgers (96%) and Portuguese citizens (92%) than other foreign residents (84%).
As for how respondents define identity, family is the top marker (71%), followed by the languages spoken and their mothertongue (both 47%). Other factors include nationality (44%), the country of origin (39%), and even religion (7%) and sexual orientation (5%). As a rule, Luxembourgers tended to view nationality as a more significant identity marker than non-Luxembourgers.
Finally, respondents believed that three things are important in order to acquire Luxembourgish citizenship, namely accepting the lifestyle in Luxembourg, being able to speak one of the three languages of the country, and finally, being able to speak Luxembourgish.
As a conclusion, Asti estimated that the survey reveals there is a tendency towards the assimilation model rather than integration when it comes to living together.
